No Action Means Same High Taxes

Is it any wonder so many New Jersey residents have lost faith in our elected officials?

We have the highest property taxes in the nation, yet any hope of reform is again deeply mired in partisan political bickering. Mayors, both democrat and republican, plead almost daily for the tools they need to hold the line on costs that drive our property taxes ever higher. Yet not a single item they need is likely to get a vote by the legislature any time soon.

Governor Christie went back on the attack this week, chastising lawmakers for inaction.

"While these toolkit measures may seem like small, complicated steps, we've tried every different way to keep property taxes under control in this state- including a property tax rebate program - but nothing has worked - so, the only way we're going to solve this problem is not by taxing you more in other ways -to send you more money back - it's to stop spending so much…if we don't spend it we don't have to collect it in the first place - you get to keep it - in the first place- and use it to support your family."

Democrats shot back, "New Jerseyans know that this Governor's preference is to give tax breaks to millionaires and property tax increases for working families and seniors…the Governor's continued rhetoric is a feeble attempt to deceive the public. Governor Christie cannot ignore the fact that he has cut municipal and school aid, hiking property taxes by their highest level in four years. He's given tax breaks to millionaires while hiking the most painful tax for middle-class families across the state."

The end result is: nothing. No reform. No relief. No action.